Door catch



May 10,1927.

K.-H.BECK-ETAL H4 1 DOOR CATCH.

Filed. July 6,1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTOR S Kenn ef/z H- Beckfkfdrmrd HBlackburn I by W ft [2.64 r fl'0rney Patented May 10, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE.

KENNETH H. BECK AND EDWARD H. BLAoKBU'nN, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

noon oA'roH.

Application filed July 6,

This invention relates to a door catch.

In Patent No. 1,533,687, dated April 28, 1925, the inventors described and claimed a new and useful door stop. a

One object of the present invention is to provide a door catch, which may be applied to a door and operated by foot to engage a door stop or other object for holding the door in open position, and which may be operated by foot to disengage the catch and door from the door stop or other retaining means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door catch which is so arranged that it cannot drag on the floor to catch upon the edges of rugs or on other objects, which cannot injure the floor, and which presents no.sharp edges or corners capable of inflicting injury on persons or objects in the path of the door. y 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a door catch which presents a particularly attractive appearance when folded back against the door, in inoperative position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a door catch adapted particularly for use with a door stop of the general nature of that described and claimed in the above noted patent, to so look azdoor in cooperation with the stop that the door is firmly held against rattling.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the door catch in folded or inoperative position; Figure2 is a centralvertical sectional view throughthe door catch, showing the parts thereof in the same position as in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view through the door catch, showing the catch in its lower position; Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view through the door catch and door stop, illustrating the cooperation of the door catch and door stop for locking a door in open position; and Figure 5 is a plan View of the door catch and door stop, showing the same in the engaged position illustrated in Figure 4. I

In theaccompanying drawings the reference numeral 1 designates a door. the reference numeral 2 designates the door catch generally, and the. reference numeral 3 designates generally a door stop with which the catch cooperates.

The door stop 3 is of the general form described and claimed in the patent above 1925. Serial N0.'41,477.

' tapped orifice extends upwardly through the base and shank, and through a portion of the head, to engage the threaded portion of a bolt 7 for'securing the stop in a floor 8.

In the head 6 of the door stop is a periph eral groove 9 in which is mounted a circular washer 10 of rubber or a' suitable composition. This washer 10 is of relatively heavy construction, and extends outwardly a considerable distance from the head to provide an adequate cushion for the door;

The door stop as sh. wn herein differs from the door stop as shown in the above noted patent, in that the door stop of the patent shows a shank which is polygonal in cross section to provide a grip for a wrench. In the door stop shown herein the shank is circular in cross section, and the lower portion 11 of the head 6 is made polygonal. The diiference of the present form in use is that the stop must be screwed down on the bolt 7 before the washer 10 is forced into position on the head 6. It is important that the upper portion 12 of the head extend an appreciable distance above the washer 10, in order to secure the cooperating engagement with the catch 2 which will be hereinafter described.

The door catch proper comprises a lower, or body, portion 13 and an upper or plate portion 1a of a lesser thickness than the lower portion 13. The rearward surfaces of both portions are in alignment, so that the catch as a whole lies flat against the surface of the door, to which it may be secured by any suitable means such as the screws 15.

Adjacent the thick portion 13 of the catch, the thinnerportion 14 is bowed outwardly to provide a recess 16 between the catch portions 13 and 14 and the surface of the door 1. The entire face 17 of the recess, which is formed by the two catch portions, is smoothly curved to provide a sliding surface for any object which is'loosely mounted in the recess;

The latch member of the catch, indicated generally by the reference numeral 18, comprises yoke arms 19, which are arranged to curve toward each other adjacent the forward extremity of the latch member; from the juncture of the arms 19 extends a plate )ortion 20; havin a de endin flan e 21 l b 13 b thereon. Atthe rearward extremity of the arms 19 is a cross bar 22, which is loosely mounted in the recess 16.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the latch is supported in a seat 23 formed in the upper extremity of the plate port-ion 14. To bring the parts from this position into the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the entire latch member 18 is raised by a lifting action on the flange 21, and the forward, or upper, portion of the latch is carried outwardly beyond the seat .13. The latch member may thus fall outwardly, the cross bar 22 moving freely in the recess 16.

This downward movement of the forward extremity is checked by shoulders 24 on the body portion 16, upon which the bases of the arms 19 lie in the position shown in l igure 3. in this position the cross bar 22 is wedged against the upp r portion of the face 17 in the recess. The limitat on of movement of the latch member prevents this member from dragging along the floor in the event of the accidental disengagement of the latch member from its seat. In this position, the flange 21 forms a bumper, so that no sharp edge is extended to cut the rubber of washer 10 on the door stop or injure persons or objects in the path of the portion of the door bearing the catch.

The effective cooperation of the door catch 2 and stop 3 is shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. As shown in these figures, the latch member 18 is in its lower, or extended, position embracing the upper portion 12 of the head 6 of the door stop and resting upon the washer 10 thereof. The door 1 is thus held in open position, and against the washer 10 of the door stop, by the engagement of the door catch with the stop.

In order to provide a particularly close engagement of the door, to prevent rattling by wind or jars the catch is desirably so arranged as to cause a slight compression of the washer 10 in engaging the door. For this purpose the distance A between the point of contact of the washer 10 and the portion 13 of the catch and the forward inner surface of the plate portion 20 of the latch member is made slightly less than the distance between such point of contact and the most outwardly disposed peripheral point on the portion 12 of the head 6.

Because of the slight insufiiciency in length of latch member 18, the latch member does not readily engage the portion 12 of the head immediately to the rear of the most forwardly peripheral point thereof. Such engagement may be produced either by bearing downwardly and forwardly on the plate portion 20 of the latch member, or by pushing the door 1 firmly against the washer 10. Either action produces compression of the washer at the area G in securing engagement of the catch and door stop. The tendency of the washer to reassume its form serves to lock the latch member 18 on the portion 12 of head .6 to prevent accidental disengagement of the latch member. It also holds the door so firmly against the stop that rattling of the door is prevented.

In order to free the door 1, the latch member 18 is freed from the portion 12 of head 6 of the door stop. by inserting the sole of a shoe under the flange 21 on plate portion 20 of the latch member, and disengaging the latch from the member or portion 12. The latch is then This may be effected carried rearwardly andupwardly, and may be readily brought into its inoperative position in the seat 23 of the plate member 14.

The door catch of the present invention possesses the advantage of a particularly attractive appearance. As it may be readily operated by foot, its use avoids the necessity of stooping to engage or disengage the door. It also possesses advantages over other foot operated door stops. Thus it does not directly engage, nor may it drag upon, the

floor to mar the same. It is simple in structure, and comprises no springer other operating parts subject to displacement or breakage.

What we claim is:

1. A door catch comprising a member n ranged to be secured to the face of a door and having a seat in the upper portion thereof, and a latch member loosely mounted in a recess of said door member and arranged to be brought into a position of rest on said seat, said latch member being arranged to be lifted and rotated outwardly therefrom.

2. A door catch comprising a member arranged to be secured to the face of a door and having a seat in the upper portion thereof, a latch member loosely mounted in a recess of said door member, said latch member being arranged to be supported in the seat of said door member and arranged to be lifted and rotated outwardly therefrom, and means on said door member for limiting the rotary movement of the latch member.

3. The combination of a door catch and door stop comprising a stop having a resilloosely and portion of the door stop, and a flange portion on said latch member extending at an angle to the body thereof, said flange serving to facilitate lifting of the latch member and as a guard to prevent accidental engagement of the latch member with the door stop.

4. The combination of a door catch and door stop comprising a stop having thereon a resilient Washer and a portion extending thereabove, and a door catch comprising a portion arranged to be secured to the face of a door and having a seat in the upper portion thereof, and a latch member loosely and rotatably mounted in a recess of said door member and arranged to be brought into a position of rest in said seat and to be swung to engage the extended portion of the door stop; the length of the latch member being so proportioned with respect to the distance from the periphery of the Washer to the point of engagement of the latch member and door stop that the Washer is compressed in engaging the latch member and door stop.

5. A door catch comprising a member arranged to be secured to the face of a door and having a seat in the upper portion thereof, a latch member loosely mounted in a recess of said door member and arranged to be brought into a position of rest on said seat, said latch member being arranged to be lifted and rotated outwardly therefrom, and a flange portion on said latch member extending at an angle to the body thereof, said flange serving to facilitate lifting of the latch member.

6. A door catch comprising a member arranged to be secured to the face of a door and providing a recess adjacent the door, a latch member having a portion rotatable in said recess and free for appreciable vertical movement therein, and shoulders on said door member for limiting rotation of the latch member.

7. A door catch comprising a member arranged to be secured to the face of a door and having a recess adjacent the door, and a latch member having a portion rotatable in said recess and free for appreciable vertical movement therein, said members being mutually so arranged that the latch member may be supported by the door member in aposition substantially parallel to the face of the door.

In Witness whereof, We hereunto set our hands.

KENNETH H. BECK. EDWARD H. BLACKBURN. 

